Apparatus for cleaning smokers{3 {0 pipes

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for cleaning a smoker&#39;&#39;s pipe by cleaning fluid sprayed from a nozzle under pressure as an aerosol spray. The open top of the bowl is covered and sealed by a head portion surrounding the nozzle and this causes the blast of cleaning fluid and its propellant, which is directed into the bowl of the pipe, to blow out through the stem of the pipe. The apparatus includes a pressurized can of cleaning fluid and propellant and a head portion with a soft sealing surface that is pressed against the rim of the pipe bowl. This pressure is used to actuate an automatic valve that controls the flow of fluid from the can.

United States Patent 1 1 3,603,318

[72] Inventor Alfred Yurdin 2.048,852 7/1936 Dumas .1 131/244 X 10 Fenton Driie. Millhurn NJ. 07041 2,051,030 8/1936 Dalinda 131/171 [21 Appl. No. 791,908 2,480,167 8/1949 Thomas 131/243 {22] Filed Jan. 17.1969 FOREIGN PATENTS Pammcd 5,960 1884 Great Britain .1 131/244 1,089,718 11/1967 Great Britain 1. 131/244 |54] APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SMOKERS" PIPES 10 Claims. 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 131/244 (511 lnLCl A241 09/04 [50] FieldofSearch 131/171, 242, 243,244

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 642,489 1/1900 Pyke 131/244 650,249 5/1900 Hodge... 131/244 1,052,759 2/1913 Shepherd 131/244 1,659,095 2/1928 Goodloe. 131/244X 1,889,098 11/1932 Mattison l3l/244X ,'20 t r /10 M I 20 Primary ExaminerJoseph S. Reich Att0rneySandOe, Hopgood and Calimafde ABSTRACT: Apparatus for cleaning a smokers pipe by cleaning fluid sprayed from a nozzle under pressure as an aerosol spray. The open top of the bowl is covered and sealed by a head portion surrounding the nozzle and this causes the blast of cleaning fluid and its propellant, which is directed into the bowl of the pipe, to blow out through the stem of the pipe. The apparatus includes a pressurized can of cleaning fluid and propellant and a head portion with a soft sealing surface that is pressed against the rim of the pipe bowl. This pressure is used to actuate an automatic valve that controls the flow of fluid from the can.

PATENTEU SEP 71971 lNVENTQR WW ORNEYS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SMGKERS PIPES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides apparatus for cleaning smokers pipes by spraying cleaning fluid under pressure into the bowl of the pipe for discharge through the stem. The cleaning fluid is carried by a propellent.

The pipe cleaner has a head portion which is pressed against the rim of the pipe bowl to close and seal the pipe bowl at its upper end so that all escape of cleaning fluid and propellant is through the passage at the bottom of the bowl and through the stem of the pipe. When the pressurized can is pressed down, with the bowl sealed, the pressurized solvent and propellant are forced through the bowl of the pipe and stem dissolving the nicotine and other soluble ingredients blasting the dissolved substances and out through the stem. The pressurized solvent preferably contains a flavor such as maple, rum, honey and cherry similar to the users choice of pipe tobacco. This makes the taste, if any, of the solvent resemble the pipe flavor that the user chooses for his tobacco.

The mouthpiece of the pipe can be removed or left in place during the cleaning operation depending upon the amount of solid matter to be removed from the bowl and upon the construction of the pipe stem. Where the pipe stem has a con struction with a small orifice or baffles, it can be advantageously removed and cleaned independently.

The invention has a number of modified constructions but a common feature is the provision of a unitary construction of the cleaning fluid and propellent container, valve means and head portion, and in the preferred construction the pressure of the pipe bowl against the head portion is used to control automatically the operation of a shutoff valve in the passage through which the cleaning fluid is supplied to a nozzle in the head portion of the cleaner.

Some modifications of the invention have a housing for holding a can of cleaning fluid and propellant, but others use the cleaning fluid container itself as the part to be held and have a head portion connected with the container by a short length of tubing that is a part of the passage for supplying the cleaning fluid to the nozzle.

Instead of soaking a pipe for an extended period in liquid such as alcohol, in accordance with conventional practice, this invention makes possible a thorough cleaning of a smokers pipe in a few minutes with fluid under pressure that evaporates quickly so that the pipe is ready for immediate reuse.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIG. I is a sectional view showing the pipe cleaner of this in vention located in position for discharging cleaning fluid through a pipe;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of the invention in position for cleaning a pipe;

FIG. A is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing still another modification of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view on a reduced scale showing a third modified form of the invention with its head portion against a pipe bowl held horizontally as compared with the vertical positions of the pipe bowls in the other views.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The apparatus shown in FIG. ll includes a housing comprising an outer cylindrical element 11 which telescopes an inner cylindrical guide element 12. The housing I0 is preferably made of plastic material having sufficient elasticity to permit the end of the outer cylindrical element ill to be expanded over a bead Id at the upper end of the inner cylindrical element I2. This head 14 snaps in behind a shoulder 16 on the cylindrical element 11 and the diameter of the outer cylindrical element II is larger above the shoulder 16 so that the bead M can slide freely up and down in the element II; but the shoulder 16 prevents the elements ill and I2 from becoming accidentally disengaged from one another.

A container 20 for cleaning fluid and propellant is located in the housing 10. This container 20 is of a diameter to slide freely in the inner cylindrical element 12 as a guide. The container 20 is somewhat shorter than the: longitudinal dimension of the inside of the housing 10 when the elements II and I2 are in their extended positions.

In one end of the container there is a shutoff valve 24,. This shutoff valve includes an assembly consisting of a housing, valve seat, valve element, and discharge tube 26 held in the end wall of the container 20. Such shutoff valves are wellknown and are commonly used on aerosol cans and on any pressure containers which are used for occasional spraying of contents. The shutoff valve is opened by displacing the discharge tube 26. Sometimes this displacement is an axial movement of the tube 26 and sometimes it is a tilting of the tube. The construction of this invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 can use only a sliding tube but the modification shown in FIGS. 3 and A can use either sliding or tilting tubes. No detailed explanation of the shutoff valve is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention.

The tube 12 extends into a collar 2b which is a part of the discharge passage from the container 20. A tube 30 extends from the collar 28 through an opening 32 in the end wall of the housing It). The tube 30 can be of one-piece construction with the collar and with a nozzle 34 in the lower end of the tube. The collar 2%, tube 30, and nozzle 34, or any of them, can be of one-piece construction with the lower end of the housing 110.

The container 20 is supported by the collar 28 which rests on fins 36 extending inwardly from the wall of the lower housing element 12 and preferably of one-piece construction with the lower housing element, as best shown in FIG. 2. These fins 36 terminate some distance from the center axis of the cylindrical element 12 so as to leave clearance for the tube 30.

The inner and lower cylindrical element 12 of the housing I0 has a hemispherical head portion A0 which is pressed against a rim A2 at the upper end of a bowl 414 of a pipe 46. This head portion 40 of the cleanser is preferably convex so that it contacts with only the inner edge portion of the rim 42 of a pipe bowl which has a flat rim. This reduces the area of contact and results in an increase in the unit pressure so that the head portion 40 does not have to be held against the pipe with as much pressure, in order to prevent leaking of fluid, as would be the case if the head portion 40 had a flat area in contact with the flat annular surface at the rim A2.

In order to provide further improvement in the sealing of the pipe cleaner against leakage over the rim d2 when the bowl is filled with cleaning fluid and propellant under pressure, the surface of the head portion t!) that contacts the pipe is preferably made of material which is soft enough to be indented to some extent by the inner edge of the rim 42 when the head portion d0 is pressed against the pipe bowl. The con vex area of the head portion 40 should be of sufficient radial extent to accommodate the pipe cleaner to pipes having bowls of different size. It should be understood that a frustoconical surface on the head portion A0 is a mechanical equivalent of the hemispheric surface shown for the purpose of limiting the radial extent of the contact area of a head portion 40 with the bowl rim 42.

Liquid cleaning fluid atomized by .a propellant discharges from the noule M in a diverging spray against the inside wall of the bowl 441 and spreads by capillary action over the inside of the bowl and up to the rim A2. The cleaning fluid, which may be alcohol or other solvent or mixture of solvents for the caking and dirt on the inside of the pipe bowl, loosens the deposits on the inside of the bowl and the turbulence of the spray which is placed against the inside of the bowl promotes breaking loose of the deposits from the bowl. The pressure of the propellent forces the dislodged deposits from the bowl through a passage 48 leading to a stem 50 of the pipe.

The spray of cleaning fluid and propellent is permitted to continue until the discharge from the stem 50 no longer contains any brown color. When clear fluid comes from the stem 50, this is an indication that the pipe is clean. Substantially all of the cleaning fluid and propellent which discharges from the pipe evaporates rapidly and it is practical to clean the pipe with the stem 50 in position to discharge into a wastepaper basket or against a paper towel or newspaper. This is a great convenience as compared with earlier procedures which required washing pipes in bowls of cleanser and subsequently putting them aside to dry. With this invention any liquid left in the pipe evaporates quickly so that the pipe is ready for immediate use after cleaning.

In order to start the spray of cleaning fluid and propellant from the container 20 in FIG. I, the outer cylindrical element 11 is held in one hand and the pipe 46 is held in the other hand and pressed upward to displace the inner cylindrical element 12 upward until the container 20 moves into the dotted line position shown in FIG. 1. Further upward movement of the pipe 46 against the head portion 40 of the inner cylindrical element 12 displaces the collar 28 and tube 26 in a direction to open the valve 24. When pressure of the pipe is relieved, the shutoff valve 24 closes by internal spring pressure to restore the telescoping elements 11 and 12 to the positions they occupied prior to the opening of the valve 24.

FIG. 3 shows a modified form of the invention in which a container 20a has a shutoff valve 24a with a tube 26a extending into a collar 28a. A head portion 56 of the pipe cleaner consists of a plastic element 58 which is preferably considerably softer than the material of the housing used for FIG. 1. A tube 30a extends into the plastic element 58 with a tight fit sufl'icient to hold the plastic element 58 on the tube 30a by friction. There are passages 60 and 61 in the plastic element 58 extending in different directions but communicating with one another and constituting parts of the cleaning fluid and propellant passage form the container a to a nozzle 34a held in the lower end of the passage 61 by friction.

The head portion 56 is pressed against the rim 42 of the pipe bowl 44. If the valve element 24a is of a construction which is opened by tilting of the tube 260, then pressure of the head portion 56 against the rim 42 will start the flow of cleaning fluid and propellant. When using a valve element 24a which is operated by axial displacement of the tube 26a, as in the case of FIG. 1, the valve 24 is opened by holding the pipe bowl 44 and head portion 56 in one hand, and the container 24a in the other hand, and moving them toward one another to displace the tube 26a toward the shutoff valve 24a.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 can also be operated by pressing the collar 28a toward the container 20a with a finger of the hand which holds the container 20a.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3. A container 20b has a shutoff valve 24b and a tube 26b which is displaced to operate the shutoff valve 2412. A collar 28b, secured to the tube 26b, has a side outlet instead of an end outlet so that a tube b extends substantially normal to the tube 2611. In FIG. 4 a head portion 56b is a ball and can be a soft rubber ball through which the tube 30b extends to a nozzle 34b. The head portion 56b is pressed against the rim 42 of the pipe bowl 44 as in the case of the other constructions shown in FIGS. 1-3. The modification in FIG. 4 is intended to be operated by holding the container 20b in one hand and pressing the collar 28b with the thumb or forefinger of the hand which holds the container. As in the case of FIG. 3, however, the construction of FIG. 4 can be operated by merely pressing the head portion 56b against the pipe bowl if the shutoff valve 24b is of the type which opens in response to tilting displacement.

FIG. 5 shows another modified construction in which a container 20c is enclosed in a housing 68 with a cover 70 that screws over one end of the housing 68. The other end of the housing is constricted to grip a head portion 72 which is illustrated as a ball, but it should be understood that this head portion 72 can have other shapes so long as the end which projects beyond the constricted wall of the housing 68 is of a contour to fit against the pipe bowl 44 to close the end of the bowl against escape of cleaning fluid and propellant under pressure.

The head portion 72 is immovably held by the sidewall of the housing 68. A tube 300 extends from a shutoff valve 24c into the head portion 72 and is immovably held by friction within the ball head portion 72 as shown. The container 20c is of a diameter somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the container 68 so that it can slide within the container. A plate 76, attached to a plunger 78, is held against one end of the container 200 by a helical spring 80. The plunger 78 slides freely through an opening 82 in the cover 70 and there is a knob 84 by which the plunger 78 can be manually operated to move the container 20c axially in the housing 69.

When the knob 84 is moved to shift the plunger 78 toward the left in FIG. 5, the container 20c moves with respect to the tube 300 and this causes a relative displacement which opens the shutoff valve 240 to permit the flow of cleaning fluid and propellant from a nozzle 34c into the pipe bowl 44.

When pressure on the knob 84 is relieved, the shutoff valve 240 closes by internal spring pressure and moves the container 200 toward the right in FIG. 5. The spring is a weak spring for the sole purpose of holding the plate 76 against the end of the container 206 and this spring 80 is not strong enough to overcome the spring pressure which closes the shutoff valve 24c.

The preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, and they are defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for cleaning accumulated deposits from a smokers pipe including in combination a head portion that fits against the rim at the top of a bowl of a pipe to close the top of the bowl, said head portion having an orifice opening through a surface of the head portion and terminating in a nozzle located in a position to spray a solvent against the inside of the bowl when the head portion is pressed against the rim of the bowl, a housing enclosing a pressure chamber, a solvent for the accumulated deposits, a propellant fluid under pressure and mixed with the solvent in the chamber, and means providing a passage leading from the pressure chamber to the orifice, a shutoff valve in said passage, housing including an aerosol can enclosing the chamber containing the propellant and the solvent, an outlet element on the can constituting part of the passage leading from the chamber to the orifice, said outlet element being in position to open the shutoff valve when the outlet element is displaced, the head portion of the cleaner being connected with the outlet element.

2. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion having a soft surface that contacts with the rim of the bowl and that is indented by pressure of the rim against the head portion to seal the bowl against the escape, across the rim, of solvent and propellant under pressure.

3. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion having a convex surface for contact with the rim of the pipe bowl whereby the head portion touches a flat bowl rim along only the inside edge of the rim so as to provide a smaller radial extent to the area of contact and resulting increase in unit pressure.

4. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion being operably connected with the shutoff valve by motion-transmitting means that open the shutoff valve when pressure is applied by the pipe bowl to the head portion.

5. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion being an outside. surface of the housing.

6. The pipe cleaner described in claim 5 characterized by the housing comprising two cylindrical elements that telescope one within the other and of a diameter to receive the solvent and propellant can, the shutoff valve having an element operably connected with the can and an element that contacts one of the cylindrical elements, the shutoff valve being movable between open and closed positions and being moved into open position by telescoping one of the cylindrical elements into contact with the can to push the second element of the shutoff valve into contact with the other cylindrical element.

7. The pipe cleaner described in claim 6 characterized by the housing including means on the cylindrical elements for preventing them from becoming disengaged from one another, the shutoff valve element that contacts with one of the cylindrical elements of the can being a collar surrounding the outlet passage, abutments on the housing with which the collar contacts including fins extending radially inward from a wall of one of the cylindrical elements of the housing near the head portion of the cleaner and terminating short of the longitudinal axis of the housing, and the passage leading from the chamber to the orifice extending through the clearance left by said fins along the axis of the housing and through the end of the housing.

8. The pipe cleaner described in claim 5 characterized by the shutoff valve having a part operably connected with the can and a part that contacts the housing, and manually operated means for displacing the can in a direction to open the shutoff valve, the manually operated means comprising an element extending through the end wall of the housing remote from the head portion of the cleaner and into contact with the can in the housing.

9. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the shutoff valve being a valve assembly at one end of the can, the passage including a tube extending; from the valve assembly and by which the valve assembly is operated by displacing the tube, and the head portion being an element carried by the end of the tube remote from the can with a passage in the head portion into which the tube extends.

10. The pipe cleaner described in claim 9 characterized by the head portion having a generally spherical surface amounting to at least substantially a hemisphere, and the nozzle opening through the generally spherical surface at a center region thereof, the tube extending into the head portion approximately normal to the axis of discharge of the nozzle, and the passage for the solvent and propellant through the head portion having parts that extend in different directions to one another. 

1. Apparatus for cleaning accumulated deposits from a smokeR''s pipe including in combination a head portion that fits against the rim at the top of a bowl of a pipe to close the top of the bowl, said head portion having an orifice opening through a surface of the head portion and terminating in a nozzle located in a position to spray a solvent against the inside of the bowl when the head portion is pressed against the rim of the bowl, a housing enclosing a pressure chamber, a solvent for the accumulated deposits, a propellant fluid under pressure and mixed with the solvent in the chamber, and means providing a passage leading from the pressure chamber to the orifice, a shutoff valve in said passage, housing including an aerosol can enclosing the chamber containing the propellant and the solvent, an outlet element on the can constituting part of the passage leading from the chamber to the orifice, said outlet element being in position to open the shutoff valve when the outlet element is displaced, the head portion of the cleaner being connected with the outlet element.
 2. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion having a soft surface that contacts with the rim of the bowl and that is indented by pressure of the rim against the head portion to seal the bowl against the escape, across the rim, of solvent and propellant under pressure.
 3. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion having a convex surface for contact with the rim of the pipe bowl whereby the head portion touches a flat bowl rim along only the inside edge of the rim so as to provide a smaller radial extent to the area of contact and resulting increase in unit pressure.
 4. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion being operably connected with the shutoff valve by motion-transmitting means that open the shutoff valve when pressure is applied by the pipe bowl to the head portion.
 5. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the head portion being an outside surface of the housing.
 6. The pipe cleaner described in claim 5 characterized by the housing comprising two cylindrical elements that telescope one within the other and of a diameter to receive the solvent and propellant can, the shutoff valve having an element operably connected with the can and an element that contacts one of the cylindrical elements, the shutoff valve being movable between open and closed positions and being moved into open position by telescoping one of the cylindrical elements into contact with the can to push the second element of the shutoff valve into contact with the other cylindrical element.
 7. The pipe cleaner described in claim 6 characterized by the housing including means on the cylindrical elements for preventing them from becoming disengaged from one another, the shutoff valve element that contacts with one of the cylindrical elements of the can being a collar surrounding the outlet passage, abutments on the housing with which the collar contacts including fins extending radially inward from a wall of one of the cylindrical elements of the housing near the head portion of the cleaner and terminating short of the longitudinal axis of the housing, and the passage leading from the chamber to the orifice extending through the clearance left by said fins along the axis of the housing and through the end of the housing.
 8. The pipe cleaner described in claim 5 characterized by the shutoff valve having a part operably connected with the can and a part that contacts the housing, and manually operated means for displacing the can in a direction to open the shutoff valve, the manually operated means comprising an element extending through the end wall of the housing remote from the head portion of the cleaner and into contact with the can in the housing.
 9. The pipe cleaner described in claim 1 characterized by the shutoff valve being a valve assembly at one end of the can, the passage including a tube extending from the valve aSsembly and by which the valve assembly is operated by displacing the tube, and the head portion being an element carried by the end of the tube remote from the can with a passage in the head portion into which the tube extends.
 10. The pipe cleaner described in claim 9 characterized by the head portion having a generally spherical surface amounting to at least substantially a hemisphere, and the nozzle opening through the generally spherical surface at a center region thereof, the tube extending into the head portion approximately normal to the axis of discharge of the nozzle, and the passage for the solvent and propellant through the head portion having parts that extend in different directions to one another. 